Letter to the Editor: Hospital Needs to Scale Back on Expansion Plan

Dear Editor:

I wanted to follow up on recent articles about the proposed building plan being advocated by

At a residents' meeting with the City, I was the un-named man quoted who questioned the concept of a new very large regional hospital in central Lake Forest. I live near the hospital and while not directly adjacent to it, certainly affected by it. When my wife had our daughter we were able to get to the hospital in under 3 minutes and it has a special place in our hearts as well as being an asset to the community.

However, I am deeply troubled by the current plans of the Northwestern Memorial Hospital System to turn our community hospital into a Lake County Regional Hospital. This may make business sense from a NMH corporate strategic point of view after their purchase in 2010 and it may fuel referrals to their downtown Chicago campus, but it does not make sense for the community of Lake Forest.

Their plans to build a nearly 100 foot tall new mega-hospital and build out most of the current site is putting a square peg into a round hole.]

This hospital site is surrounded on at least three sides by residential neighborhoods and local roads. We do not have the capacity to accommodate the plan's traffic, nor do public bodies have the money to undertake major road renovations. The quality of life and safety of our residents in Lake Forest is not worth placing in jeopardy by the aspirations of a $4.4 billion corporation.

We already struggle with the congestion caused by the current community hospital. I respectfully submit that we do not need a new regional hospital. We currently have access to Highland Park Hospital and many other highly ranked facilities all the way down to Chicago if necessary.

If NMH could build their Taj Mahal without our approval, they would certainly do it, but the fact is that they can't under our current zoning laws and that is for good reason- they want to build something that is not compatible with the community; they are trying to fit a Chicago urban hospital into our suburban Lake Forest.

If you want to see what they like to build, just stroll around Streeterville with its massive buildings and never ending construction. I think it is time that we make our voices heard- time to fight for the quality of life for future generations of Lake Foresters.

If NMH is willing to scale back its grand plans and thoughtfully evolve our hospital, then we can begin to talk about the practical issues of cost, traffic, lighting, signage, etc.

However, if they continue to forge ahead as they have with this ill-fitting "vision of care", then the right thing for our Plan Commission and City Council to do is - Vote NO.

S. Worth, Lake Forest, IL